Loveland-Fort Collins ranked among nation's top 10 swim cities

Thompson Valley girls swim and dive team members celebrate after winning a conference title back in February at the Hewson Aquatic Center, which was named in honor of Dick Hewson's contributions to swimming in the city of Loveland. (Steve Stoner / Loveland Reporter-Herald)

If it seems like Northern Colorado is obsessed with swimming, that's because it is.

And now there's a study to prove it.

On Monday, USA Swimming & Speedo released its formula-based list of the top 50 swim cities in America, and Fort Collins-Loveland came in at No. 6.

By far the least populated of the top 10, which has Ann Arbor, Michigan, at No. 1, Loveland-Fort Collins earned its spot thanks largely to its number of USA Swimming members, the quality of its swim clubs and the amount of top-level competitors produced per capita.

Several factors have come together over the years to make the mid-sized city in a landlocked state such a hot spot for the sport. But two men in particular — Dick Hewson and Jim Nickell — are perhaps the biggest reasons.

"It's a great honor, and I think it's validating of what Dick Hewson has done in his lifetime here and what Jim Nickell has done with the Loveland Swim Club in the last 10 years," said Susan von der Lippe, a 20-year Loveland resident and a silver medalist in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 1984 Olympics.

Hewson founded the Loveland Swim Club back in 1966 and quickly built it from a learn-to-swim program to one of the region's most competitive in its first year. Then a decade ago, Nickell took over as the club's head coach and has since helped make the organization one of the best in the entire country.

While many in the community credit Hewson and Nickell for creating and developing the swimming-rich culture, the two are equally quick to deflect the praise back to everyone else involved.

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"I think the big thing is consistency. We've kept good coaches, and this town has been a great swimming town," said Hewson, who has the aquatic center at Thompson Valley High School named after him in honor of his contributions to swimming in Loveland. "This town has built three pools, and they've all been built by a cooperation between the city, the school district and fund raising. And that says an awful lot for the way this town has accepted swimming."

Loveland Swim Club coach Jim Nickell, right, is pictured here speaking to swim club members and their parents during an end-of-season celebration at the Mountain View Aquatic Center in 2012. Nickell has helped developed the club into one of the most successful in the nation. (Steve Stoner / Loveland Reporter-Herald)

The area doesn't just embrace swimming; it's pretty good at it, too.

In the past month LSC has had 21 college coaches on deck for recruiting, and two years ago the club sent five of its members to compete at the US Olympic Swimming Trials.

Like anything else, there's no secret to the success of the club, one that often competes against teams that draw from populations that are 10- to 20-times the size.

"I tell people that come and watch us practice, this doesn't happen everywhere. This is very uncommon to have a set of kids that are willing to work hard, and are willing to be dedicated, and willing to be thankless," Nickell said. "This is just a neat community for that. It started a long time ago; I feel like I've just helped add to it."

Of course, the area wasn't recognized only because of the talent of its youth. The Loveland Masters Swim Club is one of the longest-running organizations of its kind in the nation — and one of the most popular too.

Masters coach Doug Garcia joined the club two years ago after a 17-year run in Washington, and he was immediately blown away by the participation level compared to where he came from.

While his former club included about 20 active members, the one he currently teaches here in Loveland boasts between 60-70, ranging from ages 22-65 and from first-time swimmers to retired Olympic athletes like von der Lippe.

The members aren't just strong in numbers, drawing as many as 50 swimmers to a single class, but also in terms of consistent participation. And a big reason why is the Thompson School District's generosity with its pool time, something that other Masters clubs struggle with, Garcia said.

"For me personally, I feel very blessed to coach a group like this," he said. "I tell other people from other Masters groups across the country what I have, and they're like, 'Wow, that's a great group.'"